The Global Energy Prize is an international award which recognises outstanding scientific innovations and solutions in global energy research and its concurrent environmental challenges. Since its inception by a group of Russian scientists in 2002, the Global Energy Prize has grown to become a recognised global energy award.

The Global Energy Prize is awarded annually in St Petersburg, Russia, at the International Economic Forum by the President of the Russian Federation. Each laureate receives, amongst others, a commemorative medal and a prize of 1.3 million USD (33 million RUB). The award process is overseen by the International Award Committee, which consists of 35 scientists from 11 countries and is chaired by renowned British scientist and Nobel Prize winner, Rodney John Allam.

The Global Energy Prize was founded in October 2002 by leading Russian energy companies and endorsed by the President of the Russian Federation in November 2013.

Since the first awards ceremony in 2003, the award has been presented to 29 laureates from over 9 countries. Previous winners of the Global Energy Prize include, amongst others, prominent scientists including Arthur Rosenfeld, awarded for his pioneering work in energy efficiency, and Gennady Mesyats, awarded for fundamental research and development in the field of powerful pulse energy.

The Global Energy Prize is managed by the Global Energy Non-Profit Partnership. Global Energy is responsible for the organisational, financial and informational management of the Global Energy Prize. The Partnership is managed by the Board of Trustees, headed by Evgeny Velikhov, President of the Kurchatov Institute, and other representatives of Russian academia, politics and energy spheres, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev. The Board, formed by the Global Energy Non-Profit Partnership and renewed every 5 years, is responsible for general management of the nomination process and the awarding of the prize; members of the Board of Trustees do not take part of the nomination, nor do they make a final decision on awarding. The Global Energy Non-Profit Partnership receives its funding from three Russian energy companies: JSC Gazprom, JSC Surgutneftegaz and JSC Federal Grid Company UES.

Global Energy manages a range of awards and projects related to the promotion of science and innovation in the field of energy:

Energy of Youth – A competition of youth research projects in the energy sector, conducted annually among the core research and educational institutions of the Russian Federation. All scientists participating in the project are under the age of 35 years. The project aims to promote progress in the Russian energy sector, by encouraging young scientists and increasing their interest in research in this area.

Energy of Word - An international media competition, which aims to encourage media and individual journalists to cover energy issues. From 2011, this competition has been held under the auspices of the international journalistic competition PRESSzvanie.

Energy of Knowledge – A series of interactive lectures given by the winners of the Global Energy Prize and other prominent energy scholars. This program works to promote the development of positive interest about energy in young people, unleashing the potential of young scientists, to solve personnel problems in the energy sector.

Energy of Kids – A contest held throughout Russia, rewarding children's creative projects which reference the energy sector.

World Energy – The purpose of this recent project is to provide the public and industry experts with details of the most important and ambitious projects in the global energy sector.

Energy of Adventure - Energy of Adventure is a competition founded in 2012. It aims to inspire young scientists to pursue research in the field of energy by providing the winners with a unique learning opportunity: a trip around the world to discover the most innovative energy projects.

The idea of the Global Energy Prize was developed in 2002 by a group of Russian scientists and was endorsed by Russian energy corporations, President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the scientific community. The Global Energy Fund was set up in October 2002, by three major Russian Energy companies: JSC Gazprom, JCS Federal Grid Company of the Unified Energy Systems (FGC UES, Former JSC Unified Energy Systems of Russia) and Yukos. In 2005, oil and gas company JSC Surgutneftegaz joined the group of funding companies.

The first Global Energy Prize awards ceremony took place in June 2003 at the Konstantinovsky Palace, Strelna (St Petersburg district, Russia) and was attended by President Vladimir Putin. The award was presented to two international scientists: Mr Nick Holonyak (USA), Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics at the University of Illinois, for his contribution to the development of power silicon electronics and the invention of the first semi-conducting light-emitting diodes, and to Mr Ian Douglas Smith (USA), Chief Manager and Senior Researcher in ‘Titan Pulse Sciences Division’, for his fundamental research and development in the field of powerful pulse energy. The Prize was also awarded to a Russian scientist, Mr Gennady Mesyats, then-Chairman of the State Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles of the Russian Federation, for his fundamental research and development in the field of powerful pulse energy.

In the history of the Global Energy Prize award, 29 scientists have been recognised for their work. The laureates represent 9 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the USA. Laureates since 2002 include:

2013

Yoshino Akira (JAP)- Awarded for the invention of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery, an essential element for mobile electronic devices and various types of electric vehicles, including hybrids Akira is also credited with the concept, development and commercialization of storage battery systems based on his invention.

Vladimir Fortov (RUS)- Awarded for research into thermodynamic, thermophysical, electrophysical, strength, optical, structural and electronic properties of fluids and construction materials in the previously unexplored field of the phase diagram. This includes extreme states of matter, which serves as the basis for perspective development of the energy sector.

2012

Valery Kostuk (RUS) – Awarded for research and development in the field of high-efficiency liquid propellant rocket engines with cryogenic fuel for the purpose of the generation of energy in space.

Boris Katorgin (RUS) – Awarded for research and development in the field of high-efficiency liquid propellant rocket engines with cryogenic fuel for the purpose of the generation of energy in space.

Rodney John Allam (UK) – Awarded for the development of new processes and equipment for production of gases and cryogenic liquids, as well as for the development and implementation of technology for production of electricity in power systems.

2011

Philipp Rutberg (RUS) – Awarded for fundamental research and development of energy plasma technologies.

Arthur Rosenfeld (USA – Awarded in recognition of his pioneering work in the field of energy efficiency.

2010

Boris Paton (UKR) – Awarded for his contribution to solving scientific and technical problems associated with the transportation by pipeline of energy resources.

Alexander Leontiev (RUS) – Awarded for fundamental research in the field of the intensification of heat transfer in power plants.

2009

Brian Spalding (UK) – Awarded for numerous original concepts of heat-and-mass transfer processes, which formed the basis of practical calculations in fluid mechanics and computational fluid mechanics.

Alexey Kontorovich (RUS) – Awarded for research on the implementation of new methods of surveying, prospecting and exploiting of hydrocarbon-bearing deposits.

Nikolai Laverov (RUS) – Awarded for fundamental research and large-scale implementation of new methods for the exploration and production of oil, gas and uranium deposits.

2008

Eduard Volkov (RUS) – Awarded for the creation and implementation of synthetic oil production technologies.

Clement Bowman (CA) and Oleg Favorsky (RUS) – Awarded for the theoretical justification, creation and implementation of efficient technologies for synthetic fuel production from bituminous schist and oil sands.

2007

Thorsteinn Ingi Sigfusson (IS) – Awarded for research and development in the implementation of hydrogen to power vehicles.

Geoffrey Hewitt (UK) – Awarded for developing the idea of fuel generation on the basis of water power.

Evgeniy Velikhov (RUS), Masaji Yoshikawa (JP) and Robert Aymar (FR) – Awarded for the development of a scientific and technical basis for the creation of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER Project).

2005

Zhores Alferov (RUS) – Awarded for his contribution to the creation of semi-conductor energy converters for use in solar and electrical energy.

Klaus Riedle (DE) – Awarded for the development and creation of high-temperature gas turbines for steam and gas power plants.

2004

Fyodor Mitenkov (RUS) – Awarded for development of fast-neutron reactors.

Leonard J. Koch (USA) and Alexander Sheindlin (RUS) – Awarded for fundamental research into the thermo physical properties of substances at extremely high temperatures.

2003

Nick Holonyak (USA) – Awarded for his contribution to the development of power silicon electronics and the invention of the first semi-conducting light-emitting diodes in a visible part of the spectrum.

Gennady Mesyats (RUS) and Ian Douglas Smith (USA) – Awarded for fundamental research and development in the field of pulse power engineering.

Members of the Russian Department for Earth Sciences, the Department for Physical Sciences, the Department for Chemistry and Material Sciences, the Department of Energy, Machinery, and Mechanics, as well as foreign members of the aforementioned departments;

Laureates of the Global Energy International Prize;

Scientists specially invited for this purpose by Global Energy.

Nominators suggest candidates for the Prize by submitting pre-defined nomination forms. Once the nomination process is closed on 1 March, the Commission of Experts provides a preliminary expert assessment of the nominees and their scientific achievements. The Commission of Experts consists of independent international experts from international energy organisations, scientific bodies and energy industry. The Commission of Experts’ recommendations – a list consisted of up to 5 nominees – is forwarded to the International Award Committee, which make the final selection of the winners.

In April, the International Award Committee makes a final decision on awarding the Global Energy Prize. The Committee may only cast a vote if 2/3 of its members are present. Laureates are selected by secret ballot and require a 2/3 majority of the Committee Members participating, but not less than half of the votes of the total number of Committee Members. Should the Committee fail to come to a decision, a second voting round is arranged for nominations which have received no less than 1/3 of the votes of participating Members. Furthermore, there can be no more than three laureates in a given year. Each year’s laureates have to include at least one Russian national and one foreign.

The International Award Committee is responsible for choosing the Winners of the Global Energy Prize. This Committee, selected by the General Assembly of the Global Energy Non-Profit Partnership for a term of 5 years, includes representatives of the most reputable scientific and academic organizations (such as MIT Energy Initiative, Russian Academy of Science, IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates), as well as governmental and public figures from Russia and abroad (i.e. Ministry for Education and Science of the Russian Federation). The Committee is managed by the Chairman and Academic Secretary of the International Awards Committee. In 2013 Professor Rodney John Allam, Noble Prize and Global Energy Prize winner, was elected Chairman of the Committee. The Committee consists of 26 members, including the chairperson. Russian citizens may not exceed the number of foreign nationals on the Committee.

The Global Energy Prize is presented to laureates at an official award ceremony that takes place in St Petersburg, Russia, during the International Economic Forum. The laureate is recognised at the Forum for his or her contribution to global energy research at a ceremony attended by Russian government officials, leading scientists, directors of national and international scientific and public organizations, members of the Partnership’s Board of Trustees, International Award Committee and Partnership members. Laureates are presented a commemorative medal, a diploma, an honorary lapel pin and a monetary prize by the President of the Russian Federation.

The statuette received by a Global Energy Prize is made of gold and silver. The statuette conceptualises scientific contributions to the field of energy: the image on the front side of the medal is that of a rising star, symbolising discovery, whereas the back shows a star already risen, portraying the laureate’s recognised contribution to global energy research.

Since its establishment in 2002, the Global Energy Prize has grown to become a respected global energy award:

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Global Energy Prize 2012: “Since its inception, the Global Energy Prize has been one of the most prestigious international awards, rallying around shared goals the creative community of talented scientists, researchers and experts in the field of energy from Russia and many other countries. Each year the award’s credibility grows, and the presentation ceremony is famous for its unique atmosphere of creativity, openness and scientific solidarity.”

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Global Energy Prize 2008: “I am delighted, on behalf of Canadians, to offer Clement Bowman my warmest congratulations on [his] selection as recipient of the International Global Energy Prize 2008 for [his] efforts in the development of highly efficient energy technologies … thus contributing to the energy saving problem of humanity.”

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Global Energy Prize 2006: “I appreciate this award, which recognises scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of energy. I hope that this award will further encourage researchers to search for new solutions in the field of global energy.”